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Published: August 13th 2007
It only took a small amount of arm twisting (not even a chinese burn) for Linton to convince us to make an unscheduled stop over in Canada on our way to South America. Granted, it is a hell of a detour, but with a friendly offer to stay in Vancouver with hosts Madeline and Graham, an apartment to share with Linton in Calgary and a bumper snow season, how could we resist?
First stop was Vancouver for a few days to check out the city and surrounds with locals Madeline and Graham. Not only did they have us to stay at their beautiful house but they both also took time out to show us the city as the locals know it. We travelled around Stanley Park aghast at the damage a mini hurricane has done to 200 year old trees, watched the local belugas shimmy past us in the aquarium, strolled through the hip young precinct that is Yaletown, and salivated over the plethora of food (including some brilliant sockeye salmon) on offer in the markets on Granville Island. Thanks to Madeline we got a birds eye view over the city from Grousse Mountain and spent an afternoon checking out the
The Water Bus, Vancouver
We took this tiny water bus from the downtown area, along False Creek to Granville Island.pretty little bays tucked around forested headlands just down river from the city.
This is a very liveable city - great outdoors close by, fresh food, microbrews, and some very decent shopping not to mention an abundance of some of the food we love best: salmon and sushi!
In Vancouver we were reacquainted with my old friends sushi and salmon just about every day. There are about the same number of sushi/Japanese restaurants in Vancouver as there are Thai restaurants Sydney - so allot! It is also in Vancouver where I was introduced to a new member of my family - clamato juice, or more particularly “Caesar”. As its name suggests, clamato juice is a mixture of tomato and clam juice (a whole lot nicer than it sounds - really!). A Caesar is like a bloody mary but a whole lot better, with clamato juice replacing the plain old tomato juice, a glass rim of celery salt and in the fancy places a pickled bean as the stirrer. As my adopted new drink of choice, you might imagine I got very friendly with the ceasars. But like their namesake I betrayed them in the end - I haven’t found the
False Creek, Vancouver
The view accross False Creek to the North Shore mountain ranges from Granville Island. fundamental ingredient of clamato juice since leaving Canada and have had to leave it behind (in Linton’s fridge)… et tu Brute?
Before leaving Vancouver we squeezed in a quick jaunt to Victoria (the capital of British Columbia) on Vancouver Island via ferry and bus. It’s a small city filled with buildings that look like old English manors and charge a small dutchy for high tea in them. They also include many great pubs including the “Cricketers Arms” (do Canadians play cricket?) and the brew house of the “Three Swans” where we preferred to spend our pennies.
As long time snowboarders we also paid homage to the haloed grounds of Whistler Mountain Resort only an hour and a half away from Vancouver -can this city get any better? Our host Graham is also a long time reveller in the snow sports and had some amazing contacts to be able to hook us up with some 2008 demo boards and mountain passes - for free. He also was a mountain guide for a few years so we got a personalised tour of the resort and all its bounty under blue skies and sunshine. I think we died and went to snowboard heaven!
Victoria Harbour
Victoria - Vancouver Island: capital city of British Columbia L
CALGARY
Calgary is also called Cowtown - a city for cowboy’s and beef. We did not expect Linton to saddle up in his SUV wearing a 4-gallon, wide bream hat, but he would not have been out of place - eh! It was great to see our Aussie mate who is a pilot posted to fly from Canada in the winter. Unlike Vancouver, Calgary’s temperature did not get much above zero degrees Celsius for the entire month. The only exception is when the Chinook winds blow from the Pacific and descend down the Rockies, turning the snow to brown slush - which is a shame, really. Calgary needs snow to look pretty.
We stayed with Linton in the suburb of Chinook at a well appointed unit close to Calgary’s largest shopping centre. We were here to snowboard rather than shop so Linton and I bundled into the car for a 180km drive to hit the slopes of Lake Louise. It is quite the mosey across the plain to the pass through the Canadian Rockies rising abruptly either side. A long gondola ride to the top of the mountain meant extended runs back down - its longest clicking
over 8km.
Leanne and I took the quieter mid-week days to book some nights in Banff town in the Banff National park about 135km from Calgary. We managed to pick up some ex-rental Salomon boards with bindings in good nick for $150 CAD and could carve up Sunshine Ski Village at will. Spanning the continental divide, this Alberta Province resort has lifts that carry us to the border with British Columbia. An 8-person gondola carried us up to a bowl nestled amongst the ranges that catches the snow and sun on its day. Our first runs were the best we’d ever had - our board edges sliced packed powder snow as we glided downhill. Stamina and courage was conveniently replenished at the log bar at the bottom of the runs with draft craft brews by the pint.
Banff town, whilst it was set up purely to cater to tourism had reasonably priced pubs and sizeable meals at a Mexican restaurant (which we found when we could drag ourselves from the hotel’s rejuvenating outdoor hot-tub and walk to the town centre). We took a drive to the Chateau Lake Louise and walked out from the eastern shore onto the
T-Rex & Tim-Rex, AB
In the belly of the beast at Drumheller's Royal Tyrell Museum. ice-skating rink with its carved ice castle turrets mimicking the surrounding peaks. We cautiously drove back to Calgary as the icy highway conditions were making things pretty slippery. We caught sight of a van which its driver had spun to the side of the road, hitting the metal crash rail and somehow peeling the rail away from its posts then wrapping around the chassis like a sardine can opener.
On a day with not enough fresh snow in the hills, we drove to the badlands and the town of Drumheller. Apart from the odd oil derrick, there was very little of interest across the landscape on the 2-hour drive, though what is of real interest in these badlands is what lies beneath. Here reputedly exists the highest known number of fossilised dinosaur remains in the world. The Royal Tyrell Museum has an impressive collection of over 30 complete skeletons in its halls mostly collected from the local area. This included the perennial favourite trinity of any dino-curiou-saurus child: a Triceratops, Brontosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex. One informative display introduced us to our earliest relative: the Pikia - a water dwelling crustacean.
Linton had a block of time off, so
on our last excursion we crossed into British Columbia to stay in Fernie and take on their busy ski runs. The snow storm that slowed our drive south-west from Calgary did mean we could make fresh tracks in 15cm of powder snow after we arrived. The pub attached to our hotel had the local brew on tap, which was the most flavoursome of all the beers we tried in Canada. There is a local legend that Fernians pay homage in a festival each Fabruary which evokes the sprit of Griz - a local mythical figure born in a bear cave, living in the mountains where he wrestled a bear - and who now brings on the winter snows by firing a giant musket at the clouds. Griz was pleased this season as large flakes floated onto our faces.
Our last few days in Canada were filled with last minute preparations for the upcoming South American and Antarctic journeys and making most of the comforts that you enjoy when staying in one place. Cooking our own meals, reading and watching marathons of CSI (all 3 city versions) on Canadian cable TV. Our other favourites included Corner Gas (a quirky Canadian
L&T @ Whistler BC
Ready to take on the mountain with our 2008 season Forum demo snowboards comedy) and Food Jammers - like Myth Busters but with food - and rather hilariously pointless. We also finally headed into the downtown, walking through the maze of connected corridors and sky bridges that join the shops and offices, onto China-town and the Glenbow museum.
On our last night, a farewell meal at Joey Tomato’s bar with a jug of their pudding ale (and one final Caesar for Leanne), sadly marked the end of our time in Canada. Linton drove us back to Calgary airport for our flight to the other end of the Americas.
T
Bloody Caesar Recipe
In a highball measure:
1 oz. vodka
5 oz clamato juice
3 drops of Tobasco
2 drops of Worcestershire
salt and pepper to taste
garnish with a lemon wedge
(celery green beanor a pickled is optional)
Rim top of glass with celery salt;
build ingredients over spiced ice cubes.
The Bloody Caesar was invented in 1969 to celebrate the opening a Marco’s, a new restaurant in Calgary, Alberta. Bartender Walter Chell developed the original cocktail after three months of exploring different recipes. He came up with a spicy drink made of Clamato juice, vodka, salt,
pepper, Worcestershire sauce and a dash of oregano. It is Canada’s #1 selling cocktail, with more than 250 million sold each year.
Food Jammers
www.foodjammers.com
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Camilla
non-member comment
Hi there!
It is always a pleasure to read your travelling stories!!! I wish I could do some travelling as well...but I am stuck in the office struggeling with the finishing of my PhD! However, after the novatech conference in June I will be travelling in France a bit! Mmmm, will be nice with with beaches and hopefully a lot of sun :) Take care! Hugs from Camilla and Sweden